Trials of the Abyss

Next to the blood pool, the stunningly beautiful Luo Hongyan’s captivating pair of eyes lit up.

Her elegant red figure floated in the red mist, performing a graceful, happy dance that resembled a fairy wishing to ascend to the heavens.

Each time she glanced at the bronze pendant on the ground, her clear laughter would fill the cave.

The bronze pendant had been her original reason for approaching Pang Jian.

Now, Pang Jian was likely trapped inside the chest.

He probably could not touch or open the lid without the bronze pendant, effectively sealing him in that dark, mysterious place.

It was nearly impossible for him to escape, and the bronze pendant was right in front of her.

"You, really..." Luo Hongyan’s joy practically bubbled out of her. This was her first time experiencing this level of trust.

Her efforts to increase Pang Jian’s goodwill toward her had been meaningful after all.

"Wait for me. Once I reconstruct my body, I’ll embrace you in my most perfect form," she muttered, heart brimming with anticipation.

Creak!

She opened the copper chest, pulling Pang Jian from the deathly silence and emptiness.

Pang Jian stepped out of the chest, picked up the bronze pendant, and put it back on.

"I had the same experience as you," he said. Then, running his finger over the pendant’s surface, he stared at Luo Hongyan with considering eyes and asked, "Did you already know about the pendant’s mysterious nature?"

Luo Hongyan nodded with a smile.

Pang Jian hesitated. He wanted to explain but he had yet to figure out the pendant’s secrets himself.

Seeing his troubled expression, Luo Hongyan chuckled. "There’s no need to explain. Everyone has their secrets. To be honest, I approached you as Ning Yao because I saw an essence of the Celestial Phoenix enter the pendant in Blackwater Pond. Like the Crystal Snow Lotus, it can be used as the main material for reforging my physical body,"

Pang Jian snorted. "No wonder you tried to get close to me while in Ning Yao’s body. You had an ulterior motive."

"At first, yes, I was interested in the pendant. But after some time, it wasn’t about it anymore." Luo Hongyan winked mischievously.

Pang Jian coughed awkwardly, feeling uneasy under her intense gaze. He then re-entered the chest and shut the lid.

Another round of unrestrained laughter burst out of Luo Hongyan.

After Pang Jian lay down and shut the lid, the brilliant full moon and the glittering stars reappeared.

He felt like he had been teleported to another dimension. This mesmerizing sight was one that Bai Zhi, Bai Wei, and Zhao Ling all yearned for.

It was peaceful inside the sealed chest as he gazed at the vast starry sky.

Pang Jian started cultivating the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art, stimulating his vigorous blood essence and drawing on the life energy from the leaf in his heart to refine his blood.

A profound feeling filled him!

As he cultivated the Qi Nurturing Divine Cauldron Art, he felt the moonlight and starlight become tangible, condensing into a refreshing energy that was absorbed through his Spirit Cauldron and drawn into his dantian.

Before long, a tiny round dot resembling a small full moon materialized in his dantian!

Around the full moon were pinpricks of light, twinkling like scattered stars.

The moon and stars seemed to have been absorbed into his dantian!

Outside, Luo Hongyan noticed the chest emitting a brilliant light!

The pure radiance lit up the previously dim cave.

Luo Hongyan was stunned.

For a second, she felt like she was back in Eight Trigrams City.

The light from the chest was the same as the light that had emanated from the walls and floors of Eight Trigrams City!

"Array core, soul of the array!"

Back then, Li Jie had told Yuan Shishan, the City Lord of Eight Trigrams City, that the chest was the array core of Eight Trigrams City and was what kept Yuan Shishan’s remnant soul intact.

Yuan Shishan’s soul was essential to the array core.

If the chest was the array core, does that mean that the light that drove away the darkness in Eight Trigrams City came from this chest?

The light emitted from the chest illuminated the cave walls, making the cave as bright as daylight.

Creak!

Pang Jian pushed open the lid and sat up in the chest with an astonished face.

"While cultivating inside the chest, it felt like I could gather the light of the stars and moon and absorb it into my dantian," he excitedly informed Luo Hongyan.

"You should step out of the chest and have a look," Luo Hongyan said softly.

Pang Jian complied, puzzled. It was only after stepping out of the chest that he noticed the chest was casting a light that illuminated the entire cave.

"Pang Jian, your bronze pendant might be related to Eight Trigrams City. I feel like it’s the key to unlocking many mysteries! Just like how the Mirror Tunnel on Central Lake Island did not appear until you stepped out of the white pagoda," Luo Hongyan theorized.

Pang Jian silently recalled how the bronze pendant had absorbed the Mirror Tunnel after he left Eight Trigrams City.

His strange experiences inside the chest when wearing the pendant confirmed its connection to Eight Trigrams City.

"Li Jie from the Divine Treasures Sect’s Li Family claimed he triggered the trial in Eight Trigrams City." Luo Hongyan glanced at Pang Jian. "I don’t know why, but I’ve always felt like he was just a front. You’re the true trigger of the Mirror Tunnels appearing across the different worlds and the catalyst for the trials of Eight Trigrams City."

"That can’t be true, can it?" Pang Jian was taken aback.

"Forget it, let’s not talk about that." Luo Hongyan shot him a faint smile. "You brought out the chest to see if it can hold the members of the Shadow Specter Sect and possibly save them, right? Now, you’ve found a way."

"You mean the light from the chest can dispel the murky energy from the Fifth World?" he asked.

"The tainted energy in Eight Trigrams City was far denser than what’s about to invade Divine Fortune. The city’s light blocked that murky energy. It can handle this." Luo Hongyan sighed fondly. "You kind-hearted fool, go bring the ones who came to help you here, even if they didn’t do much."

Pang Jian hesitated. "If they come here, won’t you be exposed?"

"You can open a new cave for them nearby. There are no more Cloud Sails above us, and the Radiant Sun Sect’s Fire Cloud Ship is high in the sky. They won’t be able to see you at night.

"The Vicious Beasts and plants in Misty Swamp have all burned to ashes, and those hiding will be overwhelmed by the murky energy. No one will be watching this place closely," Luo Hongyan said.

"Alright." Pang Jian nodded and put away the magical copper chest.

When the chest disappeared, the bright cave reverted to its dimly-lit state.

"I’ll take care of it as soon as possible," Pang Jian said, stepping out of the cave.

It was another dark night outside.

All Pang Jian could see was scorched ground and blackened trees.

Nearly all the living beings and plants in Misty Swamp had died.

There were no flying vessels like the Cloud Sails in sight. Even the sounds of the insects in the swamp were absent.

The entire world had become eerily silent.

"Who knows what this desolate land will become when the murky energy invades and covers it with the evil aura of the lower worlds." Pang Jian sighed deeply.

When he thought about how this once vibrant land had turned into a wasteland, and how this would continue to happen for as long as the tainted energy spread, he could not help but feel affected.

***

In the underground cave, Zhao Ling tore apart a small flag and smashed the materials used to construct the Ghost Altar one by one.

"Liars! They’re all liars. He betrayed our trust!" she raged. "He didn’t even bother to deceive us!"

Meng Qiulan sighed deeply and silently shook her head.

Wu Yi wore a bitter expression on his face.

Bai Wei and Bai Zhi hung their heads, tears streaming down their faces.

Just moments ago, Zhao Ling had activated the Ghost Altar and asked the Sect Leader if he had sent a powerful Sinister Soul Temple cultivator to help them.

The Sect Leader denied any connection with the cultivator and asked them how much they knew about them.

Zhao Ling instantly realized the mysterious cultivator had nothing to do with their Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader then informed them about the tainted energy from the lower worlds spreading toward Divine Fortune.

Feeling desperate and helpless, Zhao Ling asked if they would receive help.

The Sect Leader’s only response was to leave.

The last bit of hope Zhao Ling had was extinguished. The knowledge of the imminent arrival of the murky energy filled her with despair and she destroyed her Ghost Altar in a fit of rage.

She then destroyed Meng Qiulan’s Ghost Altar as well.

The group had lost all support, leaving them hopeless and completely disillusioned with the Shadow Specter Sect.

It was at this point that Pang Jian arrived.

Bai Zhi rubbed her eyes in disbelief and shouted in surprise, "Hong Jian! It’s Hong Jian! Hong Jian is back!"

"Hong Jian?" Everyone turned to look in unison.

A soaked Pang Jian was climbing out of the river.

"You’re still alive," Pang Jian said with a nod. "It’s chaos outside. All the Vicious Beasts and plants perished in the fire. The seven major clans and the people from the upper worlds are no longer paying attention to this place."

"So what?" Wu Yi frowned. "When the murky energy arrives, we have nowhere to go."

Standing in the rubble of the ruined altars, Zhao Ling stared at Pang Jian and asked in confusion, "Why did you come back?"

They had assumed Pang Jian was hiding somewhere, waiting to die like them.

"I’m here to offer you guys a chance at survival."

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